The worlds of fashion and furniture are increasingly crossing paths in the universe of design, especially during the Milan Design Week. While much of the activity focused on new furniture launches at the Salone del Mobile Milano (Milan Furniture Fair), the following fashion brands took their presence onto the streets of the city for the Fuorisalone (fringe events happening in various locations around Milan).
HERMES
Luxury French apparel house of Hermès came out in force with the unveiling of the Hermès Collection at La Pelota. In line with the brand’s heritage in fine leather making, the furniture are home accessories focus on using bridle leather with a mix of other materials, such as wicker, crystal, metal, lacquer and maple wood.
Images courtesy of François Lacour
The creations are conceived by Studio Hermès in collaboration with Guillaume Delvigne and Damian O’Sullivan. “Home living viewed by Hermès is a matter of spirit and atmosphere, where you carefully choose the objects you want to be surrounded by, for their quality, their beauty, their functionality and the pleasure they convey. We create objects with sense,” says Hélène Dubrule, MD of Hermès Maison.
Images courtesy of François Lacour
“We've set up home at La Pelota with a welcoming pavilion, a true exercise in architecture. This year, Charlotte Macaux Perelman, our artistic director along with Alexis Fabry, imagined a structure built of light-filled materials, a design using white bricks, an interplay of light and shadow, a graphic element, a Mediterranean architectural style, and a light, ethereal dimension,” Hélène Dubrule, MD of Hermès Maison explains.
Images courtesy of François Lacour
This year, Hermès also surprised the Milanese by covering various shopfronts around the city with its wallpaper collection.
Images courtesy of François Lacour
“With the #Hermèsonthewall installation, being in the city of Milan brings a certain lightness and humour; a lively and joyful way to display our wallpapers. Milan is a fairground where we like to play with our equilibrium between rigor and fantasy,” says Hélène Dubrule, MD of Hermès Maison.
Images courtesy of François Lacour
The nondescript shops, ranging from an ice cream parlour to a bar, take on a new look with the brightly-coloured wallpaper designs.
#Hermesonthewall can be found at:
Gelateria Solferino (via Solferino, 18)
Panificio Patini (via Solferino, 5)
Bar Brera (via Brera, 23)
Images courtesy of François Lacour
COS
Following the success of last year’s installation launch, fashion brand COS returns to the Milan fair with a new art concept. This time, it partnered with London-based group Studio Swine.
The designers Azusa Murakami and Alexander Groves developed an innovative "blossoming sculpture" inside a decommissioned cinema.
The tree-like sculpture would ‘bear’ fruits made out of smoke trapped within large soap bubbles. "2016 was a year full of changes and crisis and so we wanted to create an installation that could offer a moment of contemplation," says Azusa and Alexander.
ARMANI CASA
Italian label Giorgio Armani’s home division Armani Casa also made an official gesture that it was serious about designing for the home by opening its largest showroom at corso Venezia.
The new standalone double-storey flagship for Armani Casa will showcase its entire range of furniture, kitchens, bathrooms and wallpapers.
According to the designer, the contemporary look and choice of colours portray the dualistic charm and charisma of the ideal Fendi woman.
FENDI CASA
Six Shades of Palmer is Fendi’s latest couture home collection designed by Toan Nguyen. The collection combines modular structures with generous seating, 3D textures and a chromatic palette on colour-contrast cushions.
DIESEL LIVING
The rugged-wear brand Diesel has been collaborating with furniture brands, such as Moroso, Foscarini and Seletti, for the Milan fairs in the past. This year, the Diesel Living collection is inspired by a road trip the creative director Andrea Rosso and his team took from Pheonix to Palm Springs.
The various pieces combine the feel of the dry desert terrain with the aesthetic charm of the sixties motel look.
The collection will be presented in two locations, one at the site of the Milan furniture fair, and another in a pop-up home setting in the 5Vie district. “Everything is part of your living environment and inspiring the home, so this is certainly a good time to create the pop-up apartment concept to give visitors the full Diesel 'Living' experience,” creative director Andrea explains.
PIERRE CARDIN
There was a rare appearance by 94-year old French designer Pierre Cardin during the launch of his art installation at 10 Corso Como.
Attending the Les Sculptures Utilitares exhibition is also a form of homecoming for Pierre as he was born in Italy.
The various pieces of furniture showcase bold colours and forms, with a design philosophy that centrals around functionality and practicality.